Cognitive functions depend on different regions in the brain to process and communicate information with each other. The information is typically in the form of electrical and chemical signals that are communicated along neural signaling pathways between these regions. The neural signaling pathways are composed of electrically active brain cells called neurons. Many neurological disorders cause the degeneration of neurons in the brain and can therefore impair one or more cognitive functions.
Memory is a cognitive function that is facilitated in, among other places, the hippocampus and neocortex. During memory formation, information is transferred through neural signaling pathways both within and outside of the hippocampus. In some neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, neurons in the hippocampus and neocortex degenerate, thereby disrupting communication along the neural signaling pathways.
There are currently no effective treatments for curing neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's. Many researchers and scientists have proposed methods for implanting electrodes and catheters deep in the brain to stimulate desired regions including the hippocampus. However, these techniques simply provide jolts of electrical current to the brain that may even cause instability in those regions. They also suffer from a number of drawbacks including undesirable side effects, a short lifetime, unpredictability, and a lack of reproducibility.
Accordingly, there is a need for systems and methods for improving cognitive function through therapy.